Elliot Allagash (2010)

review 1: Even after finishing this novel, I still can’t decide if I think it’d be better as YA or adult fiction. I guess it’s a good crossover, in a sense. The main character, Seymour Herson, is your typical unpopular nerd character who lacks charisma, intelligence, and ambition. Along comes Elliot Allagash, a bajillionaire with too much time on his hands, who makes Seymour is personal pet project. Predictably enough, Seymour eventually does mature to the point where he understands that he shouldn’t be anyone else’s pet project (he’s still rather dull), and Elliot ends up with a new one anyway. Sure, there were funny moments in this short read, but it just didn’t tickle me.review 2: I guess this is one of those young adult novellas that I was just too old... more to read. I had to throw in the towel on this one... Maybe it gets better toward the end, but by page 71, I was annoyed by the title character (a spoiled rich kid who does what he wants because he can), and the narrator was frustratingly simple and uninspiring. Really not sure why it got so much praise and celebration (being turned into a movie by Jason Reitman? Really?). less